cat toilets

[conibear]

The last couple of years I have found 2 cat toilets and have set them up and nothing has came back to the toilets no tracks in the snow or fresh droppings. And during the summer and fall I'll check them out and they will be used with old or fresh droppings. Do cats use these toilets year after year or not.

[JWarren]

Around here when that happens I assume somebody else got them. I don't know how long your sets were in but a big old tom cat might not be back around for a long time. If guys are trapping around you they might be scoring first.

[conibear]

JWarren thanks for the reply.Our season runs from end of Nov to the first part of Jan nobody really traps them around here there are not many trappers and one of the toilets is on private property and I have the only trapping rights. With the short season we have do you think I'm missing them maybe there travel range is that long. But there are some places that i'll set on cat tracks and in 4 to 7 days they be back through and if I did everthing right in my sets I'll catch them. But these 2 toilets got me woundering whats going on.

[Bubber]

I have seen where it takes a big tom 3 or 4 weeks to come back by. One time I had what must have been a monster cat that was missing two toes on his right front foot. It took that thing 4 and a half weeks to make a circle and come back through. I fooled with him all winter befor someone else picked it up, I never saw it but the only other trapper up in that partof the world told me he caught a large tom missing a couple toes about four miles from my area.

Cats don't just quite using toilets. If they are still there then they will come back by. I have caught cats off the same toilet year after year.

[mostinterestingmanintheworld]

Usually there is a reason for that toilet to be there. There is significance to whether the turds a buried or left in a visible condition.

Marker toilets I'm certain have been place for centuries.

Some other types of dropping locations are for other purposes and the cat may not return.

Describe the location of the toilets you found maybe we can shed some light on your question.

I don't know much about Minnesota but maybe someone else does.

Joel

[coyote]

Joel,

could you explain the "other than marking" reason for cat toilets?

Thanks!

[mostinterestingmanintheworld]

I think sometimes a less dominant cat is trespassing and doesn't necessarily want to advertise.

It could be that a cat just has to go sometimes and can't wait until it finds a marker area.

I first got onto this concept by reading Mitchell Ricketts book Bobcat trappers handbook.

When I read the part about covered and uncovered droppings it made sense to me based on my personal field observations.

I don't claim to understand all the nuances of cat behavior and their significance but I suspect it has to do with sex and dominance, pecking order behavior.

I've found scratches (what I call a toilet ) in places where I've wondered why.

I think there is more than one reason for them and I believe there are some made by males exclusively, I'm not sure about females exclusivity. I think where a female scratches usually one or more males will also mark.

Obviously I'm just talking as I haven't done any work to prove the theories. It's just the ideas that come to mind after trying to figure these animals out for 35 years.

[conibear]

Joel both are on old trails , both have old and new scat in them not covered just right on top of the ground I know there cat toilets seen cat tracks around the toilets. I have set up around them the last 2 years with nothing coming backwhile I'm trapping. I was thinking last night on one of those toilets a year ago about 6 miles away from the toilet I caught a tom cat on ridge maybe that was the one using one of the toilets but there just seems to be to much scat at both toilets to be just one or two cats. Thanks guys for you input.

[lynxcat]

Conibear...keep in mind about "private property"....if the property's less than 20 square MILES...your cat aint stayin home!!!
lynx

[SteveCraig]

Joel,
Probably the finest bobcat book on the market, and should be required reading for any serious cat trapper. I have applied his concepts to lions and they are right on. Looking close, you will find that most of the toms make their scratches with their hind feet and the females with their front feet. Many toilets are just as you say centuries old, maybe older.
Most of the covered turds are for sure younger transient cats moving through another toms territory and they sure as heck dont want to advertize their presence. Lions do this all the time.
I have found several of those very old toilets and I swear, must have 35 to 50 piles of turds in them.
Steve

[mostinterestingmanintheworld]

Steve,

Wiley Carroll was always asking everyone whether a lion scratched with his front feet or his hind.

Joel

[coyote]

appreciate the replies, guys!

[17HMR]

Joel or Steve, Im not much of a cat trapper but am a great book reader where can I find this book? Jeff

[JWarren]

I agree on the book. Unlike 99% of BS trapping books focusing on sets and other trivial matter most of this book is based on scientific studies.